Danny Meyer

Danny Meyer began his restaurant business with Union Square Cafe in New York in 1985, at the age of 27. He had grown up in St. Louis in a family that enjoyed food and travel. The restaurant became the start of Union Square Hospitality Group, whose later ventures included Gramercy Tavern, The Modern and other restaurants with their own settings and menus. Meyer’s company describes its approach as Enlightened Hospitality. The order matters: care for the people who work in the business, then extend that care to guests, the community, suppliers and investors. In a first-person account of hiring, Meyer explains that technical skill alone was not enough. He came to look for emotional qualities as well, while still requiring the skills needed to do the work. The business also moved beyond full-service dining. Shake Shack grew from a hot dog cart supporting the Madison Square Park Conservancy into a permanent park kiosk in 2004. It became a public company in 2015. USHG’s later work included events, hospitality consulting and investment in other businesses. These were different ways to apply its experience, with different operating demands. Meyer set out his earlier management experience in Setting the Table, first published in 2006. What Could Possibly Go Right?, published in 2026, returns to the problem of keeping a culture useful through growth and change. It also discusses setbacks, including closing Tabla after Meyer had once taken pride in never closing a restaurant. His work is useful to founders who need service standards, hiring and the response to mistakes to remain clear as a team grows.